Silicon-Enabled Battery with Structured Substrates for High Power
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Solution Overview
Problem
Li ion batteries are not suitable for energy storage systems requiring high power or fast charging/discharging capabilities, and they have limitations such as high cost, low cycling life, and safety issues, making them less desirable for applications like electrical vehicles and grid scale storage.
Innovation Solution
The development of ultrafast and reliable silicon-enabled batteries using conventional cathode/anode systems like Ni—Fe, with nano/micro-structured silicon substrates to increase surface area, enhancing power and energy density, and cycle life, and integrating these batteries into electronic systems for miniaturized high-power energy storage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If Li ion batteries are used for energy storage, then high energy density is achieved, but fast charging/discharging capability and high power are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs porous silicon substrates with high surface area to volume ratio, enabling increased reaction sites for electrochemical reactions. This porous structure allows rapid ion transport while maintaining high power density, resolving the contradiction between power output and charging/discharging speed
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses composite electrode structures combining silicon with conventional cathode/anode materials (such as Ni-Fe systems). This composite approach leverages the high theoretical capacity of silicon while maintaining the structural stability and electrochemical compatibility of conventional materials, achieving both high power and fast response
2Duration of action of stationary object
If Li ion batteries are used, then high energy density is achieved, but cycling life is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates protective coatings and buffer layers on silicon electrodes beforehand to prevent degradation during cycling. These pre-applied protective measures cushion against the expansion-contraction stresses of silicon, maintaining structural integrity over thousands of cycles while preserving energy storage capacity
Solution Approach 2:
The invention optimizes electrochemical parameters such as electrolyte composition, pH, and operating voltage windows to enhance cycle stability. By carefully controlling these parameters, the system achieves extended cycling life without sacrificing the high energy density provided by silicon-based electrodes
3Reliability
If Li ion batteries are used, then high energy density is achieved, but safety issues arise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs conventional, well-established cathode/anode materials with proven safety records (such as nickel-iron systems) in combination with silicon. This approach uses mature, predictable materials rather than experimental high-energy-density materials, ensuring safety while maintaining competitive energy density through the silicon enhancement
Solution Approach 2:
The invention incorporates safety features such as inert coatings and stable electrolyte formulations that create a chemically inert environment within the battery. This prevents hazardous reactions even under stress conditions, maintaining safety while allowing the use of high-capacity silicon electrodes
4Power
If conventional Ni-Fe batteries are used, then reliability is achieved, but power density is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from conventional planar electrode structures to three-dimensional porous silicon architectures. This dimensional change dramatically increases the surface area available for electrochemical reactions, boosting power density by providing numerous parallel reaction pathways while maintaining the reliability of conventional Ni-Fe chemistry
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The silicon-enabled batteries achieve a 1,000-fold power density increase over traditional Ni—Fe batteries, enabling rapid charging and discharging while maintaining high energy density, making them suitable for high-power microelectronic systems and addressing the limitations of Li ion batteries.
Implementation Method 1
silicon substrates having nano/micro structured surfaces to increase the surface area between the active material and the electrolyte
Data Source
AI summary
Ultrafast battery devices having enhanced reliability and power density are provided. Such batteries can include a cathode including a first silicon substrate having a cathode structured surface, an anode including a second silicon substrate having an anode structured surface positioned adjacent to the cathode such that the cathode structured surface faces the anode structured surface, and an electrolyte disposed between the cathode and the anode. The anode structured surface can be coated with an anodic active material and the cathode structured surface can be coated with a cathodic active material.